Ford recalls 270,000 cars because they may roll away when parked

Ford has recalled 270,000 Ford Fusions because of a potential gearshift problem that could cause the cars to roll away even if they are parked.

The issue is caused by shifter cable bushing that could degrade and detach from the vehicle’s transmission.

“The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to park and remove the ignition key while the transmission may not be in park, with no warning message or audible chime,” Ford said in a statement. “If the parking brake is not applied, a shifter cable that detaches from the transmission could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash.”

Owners of Fusions affected by the recall will be instructed to always use their parking brake and will be notified when a “final remedy” is available as the “root cause and final service repair are in the process of being confirmed,” Ford said.

The automaker said it was aware of three reports of property damage and an injury possibly related to the faulty part.

Affected vehicles include 2013-16 Fusion 2.5-liter engine-equipped vehicles not in the original safety recall 18S20 built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, April 12, 2013 to Feb. 29, 2016 and at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, Feb. 9, 2012 to April 4, 2016, Ford said.

Last year Ford recalled 550,000 Fusions from 2013 through 2016 and Escape small SUVs from 2013 and 2014 for the same problem with a different cause.

The 2018 recall covered cars with a number of different engines, including the 2.5-liter.

Earlier this year, Ford recalled nearly 1 million cars because of defective airbags.